Tag Archives | Jana Kramer

ACM Lifting Lives: A Music Camp With Heart

Starting the week of June 18th, campers from 14 states across the nation came to Nashville to participate in the ACM Lifting Lives music camp for people with developmental disabilities.  “The residential camp has the dual purpose of studying Williams syndrome and other developmental disabilities and providing music enrichment through performance and education” according to the ACM Lifting Liveswebsite.

ACM Lifting Lives

Jana Kramer and ACM Lifting Lives campers at BBQ

Campers participated in a fun-filled week of activities around Music City.  They did what many people come to Nashville try to do, they started the week off in a songwriting session with Brett Eldredge and David Lee Murphy where they created the original song “We’re Having A Party”.  This was followed by a recording session with Luke Bryan and Paul Worley 2 days later.  Then, had a fun evening out at Winners singing karaoke with Lauren Alaina. The next day they were treated to BBQ with Jana Kramer. Finally, they concluded their week with a performance with Big & Rich on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

After a week of covering these different events with the campers, I was touched by their enthusiasm, spirit, and musical talent. It was both an amazing experience for the campers and those of us lucky enough to cover it as media. I know it was for me. It was such a special experience to see these people who have to overcome so much in their lives get to live out what is a life-long dream for many that come to Nashville. To watch the expressions on their faces as they came into contact with the different country stars and see their proud faces as they stepped on the Opry stage to sing their song…it’s a memory that I won’t forget and will always treasure. I cheered for them and even shed a few tears in pride for them as I watched them perform on that legendary stage.

I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to cover the different activities of the week because I was given a small glimpse into the lives of these very special people. It is hard to put into words how special these campers were/are. I had many opportunities to interact with them and came out each time being touched by them in so many different ways. Their enthusiasm is infectious, their sweet spirits touched my heart, and the way they are moved by music along with their musical talented is astounding. It’s truly a great thing that the ACM is doing for these people each year and I hope to take part in it again next year.

For more information about ACM Lifting Lives, go to the website: www.acmliftinglives.org. The week-long camp is a partnership between ACM Lifting Lives and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

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About Williams Syndrome:

What causes Williams syndrome?

Individuals with Williams syndrome usually are missing a small piece of chromosome 7. This rare genetic disorder occurs spontaneously in 1 out of every 7, 500 births. It is not a result of an inherited characteristic from the parents. First recognized in 1961, Williams syndrome affects males and females at equal rates and has been diagnosed in all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

What are the effects of Williams syndrome?

ACM Lifting Lives

Lauren Alaina with ACM Lifting Lives campers

While every individual is unique in how they look and act, people with Williams syndrome have some traits in common. They may have some or all of these characteristics, which include:

• Small, delicate bones and features—small teeth spaced far apart
• A white star shape in the iris of the eye • High sensitivity to loud noises • Trouble nursing as a child, slow weight gain, and
colicky behavior as a baby • Anxious or nervous behavior—including “picking”
behavior • Heart, blood vessel, and stomach problems
• High levels of calcium in the blood • Learning or cognitive disabilities • Preferring to spend time with adults instead of peers • Musical talents and/or intense connection with
music—ability to learn though music • Large vocabulary,well spoken • Extremely friendly,caring behavior—cannot
identify bad intentions in other people

Can Williams syndrome be treated?

Individuals with Williams syndrome benefit from early intervention and lifelong physical and psychological therapies. Any medical problems that develop should be monitored closely by doctors experienced in working with individuals with Williams syndrome. To help alleviate maladaptive and social-emotional challenges, try to:

• Keep distractions to a minimum—manage auditory and visual distracters.
• Manage sensitivity to sound—provide comfort and explain loud noises.
• Encourage positive thinking—teach skills for reframing negative thoughts.
• Alleviate anxieties—reassure and aid transition into other activities or topics.
• Monitor sadness—be aware that depression can hide under a cheerful exterior.
• Provide social skills training—practice interaction with others, taking turns, and how to be appropriately cautious of strangers.

Children with Williams syndrome probably will have special needs in their education. The best education programs will be collaborative team approaches, and those that build on and encourage a child’s strengths. Children with Williams syndrome generally respond well—both cognitively and emotionally—to educational programs that use music as a tool. When writing is involved, allow extra time and support and recognize that using computers, calculators, and audiotape recorders may be beneficial.

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CMA Music Festival: Another Perspective

Well, another CMA Music Festival has come and gone! Can’t believe the week flew by so fast, but it was a fun one and actually not as hot as it usually is, too. Very thankful for that, let me tell you!

Started off the week of CMA Music Festival with the annual CAA (Creative Artists Agency) BBQ in their brand new, beautiful offices located in the penthouse of the Suntrust building next to the historic Ryman Auditorium. Had the chance to stop by for a little while for some great food, drinks, and enjoyed running into friends while out there. Mixed in with the crowd were Kip Moore, Jesse Lee, Jennifer Wayne of Stealing Angels, Jana Kramer, Hot Chelle Rae, Chase Rice, and sure many more I didn’t see. It was crowded! Thanks to CAA for the invitation to join them and see their new offices!

Thursday

First thing this morning, headed over to Tin Roof on Music Row for the A.M. Jam by our friends at Black River Entertainment! Craig Morgan started out introducing the first artist, Glenn Templeton, followed by Sarah Darling, and long-time friends, Due West.  Each gave a short acoustic performance.  Great performances by all!

CMA Music Festival

Julie Roberts performing

Next, headed out to the festival to see Julie Roberts perform on the Bud Light Stage in front of Bridgestone Arena.  Loved seeing Julie “do her thing” on the stage in front of hundreds of fans. Love the traditional sound that she is known for!

Then, we were off to the “You’ve Been Sentenced” celebrity/charity event at Hard Rock, which featured celebrities like: Buddy Jewell, Julie Roberts, Jeff Bates, LoCash Cowboys, Keith Burns, and many more.  I still have NO IDEA how to play that game, what the rules were, not a CLUE! It was a card game and formed sentences.  Nope, not a clue what was going on, but everyone seemed to be having a good time! If anyone wants to explain it to me, maybe I will understand now! Ok, probably not…

CMA Music Festival

Heidi Newfield

Caught Neal McCoy’s show at Riverfront stage.  That guy is always full of energy, entertaining, and even climbed up the side of the stage to the very top.  Fun show!

From there, I headed over to Jana Kramer’s CD release party at aVenue off of 3rd ave.  She did an acoustic set of most of the songs from her album.  Jana’a always entertaining and charming on stage.  Many One Tree Hill fans were present, that was obvious! The place was packed and Jana gave a great performance.  She’s another one of our favorites on here, if you couldn’t tell! Be sure to look for her album in stores and you can buy it right now on iTunes, too, if you don’t want to wait! You won’t regret it, it’s a great album

Then, I caught Miss Willie Brown at the Bud Light stage.  They were ok.  Not really that crazy about their music, but they were energetic on the stage and others seemed to enjoy them.

Friday

This was my favorite day out of all of them because it featured performances by a some of my favorites: THE FARM, Jesse Lee, and Gloriana.

CMA Music Festival

Gloriana performing on Riverfront stage

Caught Gloriana at the Riverfront stage.  Loved seeing their full set and their harmonies were flawless, as usual.  Great to hear that their new single that was recently featured on The Bachelorette is doing so well for them on the charts.  Highest ranking single of their career and almost top 10 right now.

Then, headed over to the Hard Rock to catch another friend, David Bradley, on the acoustic stage.  David’s always charming with his British charm and never disappoints with his performances.

Went over to the convention center for a bit to see what was going on over there with the artists signing before heading back over to the Hard Rock to catch another friend and favorite, Jesse Lee, do an acoustic performance.  It was short, but sweet! LOVE Jesse who is always fun to watch perform! She’s got lots of personality and the vocals to match.  I just want to be able to catch her doing a full band show one of these days soon.  I’m sure it’s amazing!

Ended the day with THE FARM.  I loved seeing THE FARM do a full set on the Riverfront stage, which is where I mainly stayed during the festival.  If you haven’t heard or seen them, check them out if they pass through your town and you can also hear their single “Home Sweet Home” on the country charts right now.  It’s broken into the top 20 and still climbing! LOVE these guys! Good people and incredibly talented! Their show is high energy, too, with Damien even doing a backflip on the stage.  Loved the whole thing and these guys are going to continue to WOW audiences as people get a chance to see them this summer touring, I’m sure of it!

CMA Music Festival

Krista from THE FARM

Highlight of the day:  Seeing THE FARM and Jesse Lee perform!

 

Saturday

Started out the morning at the Riverfront stage seeing Love and Theft followed by Kip Moore.  Enjoyed both of these shows.

Love and Theft are always good to see, plus enjoy their music.  Stephen is always entertaining to watch and shows a lot of personality.  Just a really fun guy!  Eric? Not so much.  He always manages to look bored on the stage and like he’d rather be anywhere but there at the moment.  Like their music, but would like to see them both be equally as entertaining.

Then, they were followed by Kip Moore.  He seems very at ease on the stage and was fun to watch.  Love his music and glad that he’s now experiencing some success with his chart-topping single.  Hope it continues for him!

Spotted in the front row of the crowd were a whole bunch of girls dressed in red sundresses hoping to capture the attention of Kip.  Watched his video a few too many times, I guess!

Wandered off out into the festival a little and then back to see Casey James for the first time.  First off, best hair out there and such a cutie! Glad to get THAT off my chest.  He was highly entertaining and great musicianship!

Following Casey was Heidi Newfield on the Riverfront.  Loved her performance! She’s always high energy! I was afraid she was going to have a wardrobe malfunction in that peacock dress, though! I don’t imagine the guys would have minded that so much! She had on a peacock dress with fishnets.  High octane attire for a high octane show, I guess! lol

Finished up the day at the convention center.

 

Sunday

Started out Sunday at the TJ Martell Ride for a Cure event.  It started off with breakfast at Mickey Roo’s in Franklin.  I was thinking was going to be able to get some interviews like last year, but with the actual ride being cancelled due to the rain, things were thrown off a bit for everyone.  Couldn’t be helped and no one’s fault, just bad weather throwing things off for everyone and making the best of it. The pre-jam was going on in there and I got to LISTEN to an interview by Good Morning America just too busy in there to conduct any myself.  So, for me, it was kind of a let down, but the breakfast was nice and it was fun running into Lauren Alaina, Dean Alexander, and Little Big Town out there.  I just opted out of the concert since it was raining and would be out in the mud.  Just wasn’t quite up for that.  I am glad to hear that the event was still a success for the charity raising over $55,000!

CMA Music Festival

Photo credit: Randi Radcliiff/Little Big Town and Lauren Alaina


Back to the Riverfront stage at CMA Music Festival I went (See? I said I spent most of the week there!) and saw Sunny Sweeney do her thing! I just love her Texas attitude and her whole Texas sound.  She’s a lot of fun on the stage and just shows a lot of sass!

Then, off to see Jason Michael Carroll perform at the Bud Light Bridgestone stage.  I had a hard time keeping up with him on stage with my camera because he moves so much! Love his voice and he puts on a great show!

Followed by Mandy Barnett at the same stage.  Mandy’s both an incredible vocalist and a class act all around.  Very gracious and down-to-Earth.

CMA Music Festival

Kip Moore

Then I was off to see Jana Kramer perform a full band show at the Riverfront stage.  Jana’s both sassy and classy! Such a sweet person and dynamic performer.  Only wish great things for her!

Well, that is a wrap for me! I ended up letting Courtney, who you’ll be hearing from on here, use my nightly LP stadium passes.  She got some great shots and since she was gracious enough to help us out for the week, thought she’d enjoy them.  Me? I was WORN after those long, hot days! So, you’ll be hearing more about those nightly shows and seeing some great shots soon! Plus, I’ll be putting together a little video of highlights from the week for you all to enjoy and post more pictures.  Now, I guess I’m still recovering from all the fun of CMA Music Festival! WHEW!

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Another Reflection On CRS 2012

CRS

Faith Hill performing during CRS 2012

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Well, I finally have a quiet moment to reflect on CRS 2012.  Matt’s already shared his perspective and I thought I would take a few minutes to share mine.

WOW.  That’s the best adjective that I can think of to describe this amazing 4-day long country music event known as CRS (Country Radio Seminar).  Matt and I were fortunate enough to be allowed to cover all of the events of CRS as media for the very first time this year for Focus on the 615.

This was simply an amazing experience for anyone who loves music as much as I do! THIS is quite simply why I do what I do so I can be there, hearing firsthand, connecting, and then sharing with you this love for music.  My love for music has gotten me through some of the worst times in my life and some of the best times.  Especially country music with it’s incredible lyrics and songs filled with emotion.  I feel so fortunate to be able to attend an incredible event such as CRS.  I’m one of the lucky ones allowed to hear some of the most amazing music that is out there today up close and to be able to come in contact with many of the people who are making this great music.  It was almost too much packed into 4 days to be able to absorb and much sleep was lost that week in order to take it all in, but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat and hope we are given the opportunity to attend this extraordinary musical event next year.

CRS

Hunter Hayes performing during New Faces show at CRS 2012

High points of the week were being able to attend the Country Radio Hall of Fame ceremony and dinner, Sony Music afterparty, and Black River Entertainment afterparty where long time friends Due West performed along with new friends, Sarah Darling and Glen Templeton.  Then, there was the Lady Antebellum concert with Darius Rucker and Thompson Square opening followed by Warner Music’s Attack of the 80s afterparty where favorites like Jana Kramer, THE FARM, Jason Jones, Frankie Ballard, Gloriana, The Dirt Drifters, and Big & Rich performed one original song then one 80s song.  That was one of my very favorite moments during CRS and a great way to end the night with all of the amazing people at Warner Music! Then, an incredible lunch brought to us again by Warner Music where I was front row being entertained by a full scale concert by none other than Faith Hill, who if anyone has doubts, has STILL got it and I eagerly anticipate the release of her new album! What an incredible performance and I’m fairly certain that will be the best lunch that I ever experience during my lifetime.  Lofty words, but THAT will be hard to top! There were elegant cocktail parties and a fun meet & greet mixer with large spreads of food and just about everyone who is anyone in country music in attendance just to talk to and take pictures with.  Then, the last night, another nice cocktail party where The Lost Trailers started off the evening with a short performance that ended with a gospel choir on stage singing this incredibly touching song “Underdog” that left me in tears.  It was quite difficult for me to keep my camera in focus and take the pictures I was trying to get as I tried to see through my tears because I was so moved by their performance.  Not only that, but they share a very touching story.  It was all very moving! Check them out if you haven’t heard of them! Lastly, there was the New Faces show concluding the event that featured full band performances on the same incredible stage that had been set-up earlier that day for Faith Hill.  Performers included: Eli Young Band, Hunter Hayes, Sunny Sweeney, and David Nail who each gave incredible, crowd-stirring performance that were appreciated by all in attendance at this elegant dinner.  Thompson Square was set to perform, but due to the loss of a loved one the evening prior, had to cancel unfortunately and completely understandable.  At least, we got to see them a couple of days before with Lady Antebellum.

We even thoroughly enjoyed all of the hours spent in the media room every day as we had the opportunity to sit down with many favorite artists to talk about their music like Gloriana, THE FARM, Jana Kramer, Frankie Ballard, Amber Hayes, Due West, Marlee Scott, Glen Templeton, Billy Dean and many more…we had so many great interviews in those jam-packed 4 days! Please look for those interviews throughout the site as there were so many, we are continuously uploading more video interviews and not nearly done!

I created Focus on the 615 this past August because I want to help promote great music and the artists who make it that I believe in. All of which is coming straight out of Nashville, TN! Being allowed to attend such a special event as CRS only solidifies for me my reasons why I created this music blog and why I want to continue to support the music & artists for many years to come.  If I want there to continue to be great music made, I feel like I have to do my part a little bit, too, and help promote.  As great as the internet is in reaching masses, it’s had such a devastating impact on the music community as a whole because of illegal downloading and sharing.  Countless labels have had to close their doors already, record deals have been lost due to labels simply not having the funds like they used to in order to fully develop and promote talented artists…in short, illegal music downloading has had a far reaching impact on the music industry.  So please, if you love music as much as we do on Focus on the 615, pay for your music downloads from places like iTunes or buy the physical cds from the stores.  Great music isn’t created for free and we can’t continue to get great music unless we support it.  A few dollars for a cd or $1.25 per song on iTunes is a very, very small amount to pay for something that will bring enjoyment for many years to come!

Thanks to the staff at Aristo PR for putting together such a spectacular event!

I would like to leave you with this great video from new Curb recording artist, Rachel Holder! When I saw this video aired just prior to the New Faces show, I absolutely loved it and it continues to stick out in my mind! Enjoy!

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CRS 2012: Interview With Jana Kramer

Check out this fun interview with one of our very favorites here on Focus On The 615, Jana Kramer!

See this related article:

http://focusonthe615.com/2012/01/20/jana-kramer-exclusive-new-music-one-tree-hill-and-what-lies-ahead/

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Focus on the 615 at CRS 2012

And that’s a wrap. Averaging four hours of sleep per night, around noon on Friday we finished up our last of 23 interviews for CRS week. Aside from all of these (stay tuned to watch them all here), the week consisted of exclusive performances, incredible after parties and an overload of fun.

CRS again is the Country Radio Seminar, a weeklong event at the Nashville Convention Center “created to provide a platform and structure for education and growth for the Country Music format, serving as the conduit connecting the interests of Country Radio with the Country Music Industry” (crs.org). Our job was to cover it as part of the media… therefore we hung out in the media room and interviewed artists instead of going to the educational seminars. Not a bad gig.

Tuesday

Day 1 was Tuesday, a day that proved just a warm up for the week ahead. We started at Warner Music where we caught up with The Dirt Drifters, HER & Kings County and Ty Stone. HKC are some of the most energetic people we had the good fortune of meeting.

“Y’all kicked our hangover to the curb like a Bloody Mary.”
– HER & Kings County

You’re welcome guys.

Then it was up to the Bridge Bar (a cool lounge area located on the walkway over Commerce Street) to meet up with The Roys, DJ Miller and Mark Cooke. Six interviews ain’t bad for a days work, and then we were invited to attend the Country Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony, followed by the Sony-hosted after party featuring Brent Anderson, Wade Bowen and Jerrod Niemann. They all brought the house down, especially Niemann’s finale, a cover of the classic Pride and Joy.

Wednesday

Now we come to the day where we almost had TOO MUCH fun. No kidding, it was almost hard to process it all.  The day started early with an interview with The Farm, a great group of people, then Gloriana, who I’ve had my eye on since their first single Wild At Heart three years ago. Then finally, I got to meet Jana Kramer who is in fact the sweetest person in the entire world.Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan

Then came lunch at The Ryman, one of the best musical venues in the country, for a performance by nearly the entire Universal Music Group roster. I won’t mention them all, but it started off with none other than King George Strait. Let me tell you, there is not a lot that can trump watching Troubadour live in The Ryman Auditorium as the sun shines through the stained glass windows. But if there was one thing that could, it was the way they closed the show: with Lionel Richie. And he immediately brought out one of his biggest fans to perform with him: Luke Bryan. They played Easy (Like Sunday Morning) one of my favorite songs of all time, and after a well-deserved standing ovation, we were back to the media room. So yeah, that was lunch.

After this, we caught up with Marlee Scott, Frankie Ballard and Jason Mitchell. Soon thereafter we found ourselves at a meet-and-greet with most of the aforementioned artists in attendance, along with Josh Turner, Scotty McCreary, Lauren Alaina, Luke Bryan, Craig Morgan, and others. No interviews with those folks unfortunately, but all very nice people.

But we weren’t done yet: after that was the sold out Lady Antebellum concert at Municipal Auditorium. Thompson Square opened the show in incredible fashion before Darius Rucker took the stage, singing a couple Hootie & the Blowfish classics as well as a Nashville favorite Family Tradition. Then it was Lady A’s turn, and they put on one impressive show. They played all the hits, and even featured surprise cameos from Luke Bryan (performing Do I, co-written by Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood) and Sara Evans (who performed Stronger, co-written by Hillary Scott). After the show we were exhausted… oh, but not done yet.Faith Hill

The after party was a Warner Music gathering with an 80’s theme. Artists played one of their own songs followed by an 80’s classic. On the roster were (among others) HER & Kings County, Ty Stone, Jana Kramer, THE FARM, Jason Jones, The Dirt Drifters, Frankie Ballard, Hunter Hayes, and Big & Rich who performed a rousing rendition of Madonna’s Like A Virgin.

Cue exhaustion.

Thursday

After Wednesday, Thursday became a blur of sleep deprivation masked with too much caffeine. Of the interviews I remember, we had Glen Templeton, Due West, Amber Hayes, Jessie James, Deborah Allen, Adam Gregory, Maggie Sajak and Bucky Covington (forgive me if I forgot anyone). By the time Bucky finished out the day our batteries were drained figuratively AND literally (Bucky’s interview ran slightly short due to the death of the camera battery).

Lunch featured an acoustic set by Alan Jackson, and shortly thereafter we had a few hours where I was able to go home and nap before the Black River Entertainment showcase featuring Glen Templeton, Sarah Darling and Due West.

Friday

An easy day today! Only two interviews with icon Billy Dean and the lovely The McClymonts, and then on to lunch with Faith Hill! She debuted two new songs during her performance, and sounded as good as ever.

After a little break, we were back for the New Faces of Country Music show. The pre-show and happy hour featured a performance by The Lost Trailers, before we adjourned into the performance hall to see Hunter Hayes, Eli Young Band, Sunny Sweeney and David Nail. Thompson Square was also set to perform, but had to cancel due to an unfortunate death in Shawna’s family. The performances were amazing, and the after party was equally as amazing with everyone cutting loose after a long week.Hunter Hayes

We have pictures of all this excitement on our Facebook page, and will be sure to post these interviews online as soon as possible, so be sure to check back often! We would also like to thank each artist for their time, their management for their patience, and everyone who was involved with CRS for their hard work and dedication to an extraordinary week. Thank you!

 

 

Below is a recap of our CRS interviews:

The Dirt Drifters

HER & Kings County

Ty Stone

The Roys

DJ Miller

Mark Cooke

The Farm

Gloriana

Jana Kramer

Marlee Scott

Frankie Ballard

Jason Mitchell

Glen Templeton

Due West

Amber Hayes

Jessie James

Deborah Allen

Adam Gregory

Maggie Sajak

Bucky Covington

Billy Dean

The McClymonts

CRS 2012

 

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Jana Kramer Exclusive! New Music, One Tree Hill, and What Lies Ahead

We sit down to discuss her record-breaking single, what she really thinks of her One Tree Hill departure, and what superstar she may be joining on the road!

Jana Kramer - Why You WannaIt’s going to be a busy year for our friend Jana Kramer! With the end of an era on One Tree Hill segueing into a blossoming music career, her star is on the rise, and Focus on the 615 is going to be there to cover it the entire way. We were thrilled to catch up with Jana for an exclusive interview. Although we were both fighting off illness, we had a great conversation discussing her music, her new album and what to expect from here on out.

Matt: Yesterday, your single Why You Wanna became the most added debut single in the history of Country Aircheck. Try to describe what that’s been like for you.

Jana: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. Everyone was going “yeah, you broke the record, you broke the record!” but it hasn’t had time to hit me yet! We kind of celebrated breaking it, but the fact that the radio stations actually came through and picked up the song, and the fact that we actually did break the record is insane. I’m excited!

Matt: That’s fantastic, and now the single has been downloaded over 200,000 times!

Jana: I swear One Tree Hill has the coolest and most devoted fans ever. And on top of it, the neat thing is, people will come up to me and say “I love your song, and I didn’t know you were on a TV show!” and that to me is the biggest compliment ever; that people are actually hearing me through my music.

Matt: That’s got to boost your confidence going into a debut album, right?

Jana: Yeah, what’s giving me confidence is just the fact that people like it, and going into the studio this next week [to finish the new album] is going to be exciting.

Matt: Let’s talk about the new album: What can we expect? Is it a simple introduction to Jana Kramer? An all-encompassing repertoire of your musical influence? How would you qualify it?

Jana: It’s me to the core. Scott Hendricks, my producer, and I wanted each song to represent some part of me, and I feel that each song does exactly that. I have my sassy side, and so I have a song that’s very sassy; and then there’s the honest, heartfelt song; then there’s the song that we’ve all been through where our heart was broken… literally each song I’ve lived, I’ve felt, and that’s what I want… for people to get to know me through my music if they haven’t already met me before.

Matt: You’re obviously a country singer, what kind of stylings and country influences are embedded in your music?

Jana: It’s country. It’s not too poppy, it’s more organic sounding. To me it’s refreshing.

Matt: Now, the common saying is “you have your entire life to write your debut album.” Did that prove true for you as well? How long has this been in the making?

Jana: I’ve been into music my entire life, but I never thought I’d be here talking about a “debut album.” I started writing when I was a little girl, but I really seriously started writing when I was 18 or 19. To know that 10 years later an album would actually be a work in progress… it means a lot. It’s going to be amazing, I’m just so excited!

Matt: So, we have to talk about One Tree Hill. Your last episode aired last night. What’d you think of the show, and how’s it feel to be done?

“I was really kind of bummed out with how the exit of my character happened.”

Jana: I was really kind of bummed out with how the exit of my character [Alex Dupre] happened. We didn’t know that we were going to get picked back up, so when we did, the shooting schedule was already in the process. And I didn’t want to wait for 2012 to start my radio tour, so I kind of had to pick one or the other… So they pretty much wrote out my character, which I understand, because they couldn’t shoot around my schedule. But it would have been nice to give my character a little more of an exit. But it all worked out, and I’m happy right now.

Matt: So it’s on to the singing career.

Jana: Yes!

Matt: Can we expect any more acting in the future? Or are you in Nashville to stay?

Jana: I’m definitely in Nashville to stay. I’m totally focusing on this, but if a project comes along that doesn’t interfere with music, I’d definitely do a project here or there. It’s definitely a part of me that I don’t want to lose.

Matt: After this album drops, what’s on the radar next?

Jana: I’m going to hopefully get on a tour. It’s nothing official; we haven’t locked anything down yet, but we’re definitely trying to lock something down very very soon.

Matt: Any idea who you might be touring with?

Jana: Possibly Brad Paisley. But I’ll be doing a bunch of fair dates and shows. I’ll be on the road pretty much the full year.

Matt: Nice! And I hear your debut video comes out next month…

Jana: I know, I’m so excited!

Matt: And sometime late spring, early summer on the album?

Jana: Yes sir!

Matt: Thank you so much for talking with us today!

Jana: Cool, thank you so much!

We’d like to congratulate Jana on everything so far. We are definately looking forward to the video, the album and Jana’s continued success in country music! And stay tuned, because sometime very soon, we will have the opportunity to sit down with her on camera to capture a little more Closer Look @ Jana Kramer.

Click here for our first Closer Look @ Jana!

Why You Wanna (Official Audio) – Jana Kramer

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“A Closer Look @ Jana Kramer”: Final Episode

JanaI hope you’ve enjoyed this video series featuring Warner Music artist, Jana Kramer, right here exclusively at Focus on the 615! This is the 5th , and the final episode, in a series of 5 videos featuring Jana Kramer. Hope you’ve gotten to know her a little better and look for her new music to be released in the coming months! She’s a great, new artist and looking forward to hearing more great music to come from her!

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A Closer Look @ Jana Kramer: Episode 4

JanaWell, I figured since I was a little bit late AND my site was down for a couple of days, that I would give all of you Jana Kramer fans out there another video to enjoy! She’s awesome, so get to know her a little better right here and share with your friends, too!

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A Closer Look @ Jana Kramer: Episode 3

KramerHere’s the newest episode of one of my favorite people and I think she should be YOUR favorite, too! Check it out and get to know Jana Kramer a little better! 🙂

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A Closer Look @ Jana Kramer: Episode 2

KramerWell, here we go again! Here’s the 2nd episode of the highly popular series, “A Closer Look @ Jana Kramer“.  Hope you enjoy!

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